Nine Eco-Friendly Ways to Clean the House

Clean Tables with White Vinegar

• Harsh chemicals can damage health as well as harm the environment, especially on tables where people eat or prepare food. Instead, use naturally-cleansing products, such as white vinegar. This substance is used in foods, but can also serve as an antibacterial and anti-fungal cleaning agent.

Unclog Drains with Baking Soda

• While baking soda’s odor-absorbing powers are well known, this abrasive powder is also an eco-friendly scouring powder that keeps drains emptying smoothly and smelling fresh. Baking soda is also helpful for cleaning pots and pans.

Disinfect with Lemons

• A powerful disinfectant and grease cutter, lemon extract is already used in several commercial products as a cleansing agent. This broad disinfectant is valuable all over the kitchen, cutting through grease in pots and pans and disinfecting tables and food preparation utensils and machines.

Save Carpets with Corn Meal

• The living room carpet is no place for wine. Next time, lift it from the carpet with some corn meal. Mixed with baking soda and borax, the corn meal will lift the stain and deodorize the area it covers.

Polish Furniture with Olive Oil

• Keep the furniture looking young with olive oil. The nourishing effects of the olive oil maintain and protect the wood from the ravages of time and wear. Adding a hint of lemon juice to the mixture to clean and provide a fresh scent.

Borax on Fleas and Ticks

• In homes with pets, parasitic insects, such as fleas and ticks, are a constant threat. Remove foreign insect invaders from your carpets by covering them with borax and leaving them overnight. This powerful cleaner will kill them off effectively as well as remove mold, mildew and other microscopic life you may not know about.

Club Soda on Windows and Mirrors

• The effervescent bubbles in club soda make an all-natural window and mirror cleaner. If the windows are greasy from kitchen cooking, mix the club soda with a little lemon juice to increase the degreasing power.

Buckets for Water Conservation

• Cleaning in an eco-friendly manner means respecting natural resources. Conserve water by only using as much as you need. Do not let clean water go down the drain while cleaning a bathtub or kitchen. Instead, use a bucket to fill with water. This can save gallons of water per month.

Air Filtration with Plants

• Ionizers and air filters are often made from non-recyclable parts and non-renewable resources. This is particularly wasteful, since certain house plants can also clean the air without the use of power or disposable filters. Plants that clean the air include the English ivy, weeping fig, peace lily, Chinese evergreen and snake plant.